University of Derby: Bioscience Superlab

AV featured

Crestron DM NVX & control

Sharp displays

Mersive wireless sharing

WolfVision visualiser

Shure mics

AVer PTZs

QSC speakers

Gude PDU

Sennheiser MobileConnect

​​​​​​​Audio visual case study​​​​​​​

The University of Derby’s new Bioscience Superlab represents a major investment in science education and research at the university’s Kedleston Road campus. Replacing smaller individual classrooms, this new 150+ capacity lab has been designed to bring real-world practice into the academic environment, providing students and staff with a professional-grade setting for scientific study.

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Working alongside AV consultants Hewshott and control specialists Lucid Partnership, GVAV were appointed to supply and deliver the audio visual integration for this ambitious space, continuing a long and successful relationship with the university.

The space demanded a flexible, high-performance solution capable of supporting traditional teaching and breakout group learning, while enabling collaboration across multiple zones within a single open-plan lab environment.

Completed for the start of the 2025/26 academic year, this brand new space has been designed as a technology-rich learning environment to aid both teaching and learning. The Bioscience Superlab needed to function as a unified space for up to 150 users while maintaining the ability to operate in four independent learning zones. Each zone had to offer full AV capability for presentations, demonstrations, and collaborative group work, with seamless transition between split and full-room modes.

The system also needed to deliver reliability and consistency across a complex setup while remaining intuitive for teaching staff to operate with minimal training. The design was developed by Hewshott in close coordination with the university’s in-house AV and teaching teams to ensure that the technology was integrated into the specialist laboratory as seamlessly as possible.

Supply of the system and full integration was carried out by GVAV as a summer works programme alongside the university’s internal technical teams, in conjunction with a number of other contractors working on this brand new space.​​​​​​​

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Each of the four teaching zones features its own dedicated Crestron touch panel that can be used to control the zone when the room is in split mode. From here, teaching staff can present content from the university PC or select from a range of input options that can be sent to any display via an intuitive interface. Content can be previewed on the Lucid-designed GUI via a live thumbnail.

The installation centres around a Crestron DM NVX networked AV solution, providing the flexibility and scalability required for a multi-zone system of this scale. The room’s NVX setup allows any input to be shared to any display within a zone, between zones, or across the entire Superlab when operating in ‘master’ mode – all distributed over IP with minimal latency.

Each student bench is fitted with a Sharp 55” display, on which students can present their work via HDMI input plates integrated within the table, or wirelessly via Mersive Solstice devices. Teaching stations have access to a WolfVision visualiser for 4K document imaging with 12x optical zoom, as well as a Shure lavalier mic and bodypack. Sessions are captured via four AVer PTZ tracking cameras and fed back to Panopto. This video signal can also be used as a display input via the Crestron touch panel.

Larger 85” Sharp displays have been installed on the window-side of the room, offering clear, bright visuals repeating the main teaching content or additional resources.

university science lab audio visual

Audio within the lab comes via four QSC pendant loudspeakers hung above each bench, providing clear and even coverage across the large open area, with automatic presets programmed to enable seamless switching between room modes depending on use.

Maintaining the laboratory’s clean and clinical aesthetic, many of the key components of the room’s AV including a Gude PDU and the room’s PC, are securely locked away beneath the student work surfaces in custom-built swivel racks. This approach ensures tidy cable management, allowing front and rear rack access for straight-forward maintenance.

university of derby bioscience superlab​​​​​​​

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Accessibility was also a core consideration in this space. Sennheiser MobileConnect provides hearing assistance, enabling inclusive participation for all users. DDA-compliant height adjustable desks in two of the zones have also been fitted with additional monitors for more optimal accessible viewing distances and their own HDMI input for collaboration.

Since the opening of this new facility, students at the university now benefit from a learning environment that mirrors professional scientific practice, where a flexible, high-performance AV environment has been purpose-built to support teaching and learning requirements. The Crestron NVX infrastructure allows academics to tailor sessions for different learning formats, easily transitioning between focused teaching, full-lab collaboration and breakout sessions.

Delivered by GVAV’s Midlands branch in partnership with Hewshott and Lucid Partnership LLP, the new Superlab facility represents a future-focused investment in digital learning infrastructure and demonstrates the value of robust, user-centred AV solutions in complex educational environments.

bioscience lab AV​​​​​​​

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“From the initial requirements and design workshops through to the final delivery of the new Biomedical Superlab, the collaborative approach from GVAV, Hewshott, and Lucid Partnership LLP has transformed a highly complex vision into a cutting-edge reality.

This state-of-the-art facility integrates advanced technologies and innovative design to create an environment that supports world-class research and learning. GVAV, as always, led the delivery process with exceptional expertise, ensuring every technical detail was executed flawlessly. Their commitment has helped create an inspiring, future-ready space where our students and staff can explore, innovate, and excel.”

Matt Birkin

Deputy Director of Digital Solutions and Services, University of Derby

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